Floor cleaning machine



. April 26, 1932. R A. PONSELLE l 1,855,728

FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1927 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS April 26, 1932. R, PONSELLE 1,855,728

FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm 67 6a 4% a/ ATTORNEYS April .1932- R. A. PONSELLE 1,855,728

FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1927 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 26, 1932 rarer oer 1c]:

ROBERT A. PONSELLE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE i Application filed June 8, 1927. Serial No. 197,338.

This invention relates to floor cleaning machines by which floor surfaces may be scrubbed or otherwise acted on by motor driven tools and is concerned more particu- 6 larly with a machine of this type which includes means for discharging a cleaning fluid on the areas of the floor to be acted on by the tool, and means for removing the dirty fluid from the floor after the treatment, so that the floor surface is left in adry, clean condition.

In machines for this purpose the tool commonly employed is a motor driven rotary brush, and as the machine is moved about over the floor, water usually containing a cleaning powder is used to wet the floor surface to be treated. The water may be sprinkled on the floor by the workman just before the machine is put into use, or else the machine may carry a tank with a delivery pipe through which suitable quantities of water are discharged on the floor from time to time. In either case, it is desirable that the machine be arranged to remove the dirty fluid as soon as the particular part of the floor under treatment has been finished, since otherwise the cleaning operation is not finished when the machine has acted on all parts of the floor and the fluid must later be mopped up manually.

In machines as heretofore constructed in which cleaning fluid is applied to the floor before the surface is scrubbed, numerous expedients have been employedfor the removal of the used fluid. Some machines include a mop in the form of an endless beltof fabric or the like which is passed around a driven roll in contact with the floor to absorb the fluid, the belt then passing through squeezing or wringing rollswhich remove the liquid absorbed. Such an arrangement is not satisfactory, be- 40 cause any sidewise or turnin movement of the machine causes the mop to run toward one end of the wringing rolls, and the wringer thus becomes clogged, so that the machine has to be stopped and the belt straightened. Also these belts .are difi'icult toguide and are not readily adjusted or replaced. 7

Various other expedients, such as the use of air currents have been suggested for this purpose, but these devices are generallyunsatisfactory either because of their complicated In a machine so equipped,the removalof the dirty water from the floor is accomplished by means of a rotating member, the surface of which is water-absorbent. This member is mounted so that it may contact with the floor and the mounting is preferably con structed so that the member may swing about 2 two horizontal axes at right angles to each other and thus contact with all parts of the V floor, regardless of the irregularities thereof, the mounting adjusting itself to the emface over which the member is passing. The

member is suitably driven from the driving motor of the machine and is arranged to pass over those portions of the floor which have been acted on by the cleaning tool. The liquid picked up by the drum is removed therefrom by a suitable device which contacts with the surface of the member by which water has been absorbed and acts to remove the liquid. This device may conveniently take the form of a wringer roll which is preferably mounted to contact with the surface of the member below its horizontal axis and at a point where the periphery of the member is moving upwardly away from the floor. The wringer roll squeezes liquid from the memher and the liquid is collected in a pan which lies beneath the line of contact of. the wringer roll and the surface in a direction toward the axis of the member. With this arrangement, substantially all the liquid squeezed from the absorbent member by the roll drops into the pan and can be removed to a suitable receptacle. Any liquid which is not caught by the pan drops down on the floor in front of the rotating member and is picked up as the machine is advanced. Preferably means are provided for-removing liquid continuously from the pan throughout the operation of the machine and delivering it to the receptacle.

The machine, of the invention includes the usual frame carrying a driving motor with a connection to the tool for cleaning the floor, the frame also carrying tanks for cleaning fluid and for used fluid. The motor drives the mop member continuously and also drives a pump by which the collected fluid may be removed from the pan and delivered to the dirty water tank. The fresh water tank is provided with an outlet pipe for delivering liquid to the fluid at a suitable point and may, if desired, discharge water through the brush or tool so that the water is delivered directly to the point where the cleaning action is taking place. The machine includes .various features of novelty in addition to those set forth which will be made clear in .ing toward the right in Fig. 1,

. Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 44 of Fig. 2, and I .Fig. '5 is a transverse sectional view through the mop'drum and the parts asso ciated with it.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine is shown as including a main frame generally designated 10 and comprising a base plate 11 of generally rectangular shape and having an extension 12 at one end for carrying certain parts to be described. The plate 11 has depending brackets 12 from each side at one end thereof, each bracket providing a mounting for a wheel 13 pivotally mounted in the lower end of the bracket. At one end the plate 11 carries sockets 14 for upright members 15 which with a cross bar 16 provide a handle by which the machine may be moved about.

On the frame extension 12 is mounted in any suitable manner an electric driving motor 17, the shaft 18 of which is provided with a pulley 19 over which runs a belt 20. Depending from the extension at the end there of are spaced lugs 21 in which are mounted rods 22. These rods extend outwardly to the edges of the machine and each rod at its end carries a supporting member 23 extending upwardly and serving at its upper end as a bearing for a drive shaft 24 carrying a pulley 25 over which runs the belt 20. The drive shaft carries a bevel pinion 26 between its ends which engages and drives a bevel gear 27 mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft '28 mountedina bearing member 29 which has T-extensions 30 into which the ends of the rods 22 project, the rods being fastened therein by pins 31. Beneath the end of the bearing member 29, the shaft 28 carries a collar 32 fixed thereto, a suitable ball bearing assembly generally designated 33 being interposed between the collar 32 and the end of the bearing sleeve 29. At its lower end the shaft 28 is supported on a step bearing generally designated 34, the housing for which is providedwith a caster 35. The tool with which the floor is to be treated, here illustrated as a circular brush 36, is mounted to be driven by the shaft 28 and a spring 37 interposed between the collar 32 and the top of the tool serves to exert pressure which causes the tool to bear firmly against the floor surface.

Mounted on the frame plate 11 between the motor and the handle is a tank 38 for fresh water having an intake 38 and mounted within this tank is a shaft 39 carrying agitator paddles 40, the shaft extending out through one wall of the tank and at its ex posed end carrying a pulley 41 over which runs a belt 42. This belt also passesaround a pulley 43 on the drive shaft 24 so that the agitator is continuously rotated by the motor when the machine is in use. The agitator permits the use of cleaning powder with the fresh water, the agitator keeping the powder in suspension so that it may be delivered to the floor surface. with an outlet pipe 44 in which is a pet cock 45 by which the flow of liquid can be controlled. The outlet pipe leads forwardly and its end is bent inwardly toward the center of the tool, as shown at 46 (Fig. 2) to discharge liquid on the floor at the center of the tool through the open spoke structure 47 of the tool.

In the operation of the machine fresh water is continually discharged on the floor surface at the center of the brush which is driven by the motor and scrubs the floor. As the machine is moved over the different parts of the floor, the dirty water left thereon must be removed. For this purpose, there is provided a rotary member or drum 48 mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis. This drum may be of any suitable construction and is provided with a covering 49 of water-absorbent material, such as fabric or the like. The drum is mounted on a shaft 50, the ends of which are supported in bearings in hous ings 51 in the ends of arms 52. These arms are mounted rigidly on the ends of a cross rod 53 which carries a pivot block 54 at its midpoint. This block may conveniently take the form of a casting having a flat face 55 which has an opening for a pivot pin 56. The pin extends through another pivot block 57 which is secured on the end of a vertical rod 58, this rod passing upwardly through an opening 59 in the frame plate 11 and carrying a T 60 at its upper end. In the arms of this T are mounted cross rods 61 which carry elbows 62 at their outer ends, the el- The tank 38 is provided bows receiving the ends of rods 63 which at their forward ends are connected to collars .64 freely mounted on the main drive shaft 24 but held against lengthwise movement thereof by fixed collars 65.

With the arrangement described, it will be seen that the mopping'drum 48 is-mounted for free rotation in a yoke frame which includes arms 52 and cross rod 58, this frame being capable of pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, in this case the pivot pin 56. The frame is likewise'capable of movement to raise and lower the drum with reference to the floor since the frameis supported on the pivot pin carried by and movable with the member 57 on the end of the rod 58. The rods 63, 61, and 58 are rigidly connected together to form auni-tary structure and as the structure is capable of swinging movement about the drive shaft as an axis, it follows that the drumis free to move up and down as it rides over floor irregularities and is also free to tilt from side to side about the axis of the pin 56. An eificient mopping action of the drum due to its contact with the floor at all times is thus insured.

The drum is rotated by means of a belt 66 running over a pulley 67 on the end of the drive shaft 24. This belt runs over a pulley 68 on the end of the drum shaft 50 and as the drum shaft 50 swings about the drive shaft 2/1 as a center, the belt is kept taut regardless of the position of the drum due to floor irregularities.

Between the arms 52 is mounted a rod 69 on which are swinging arms 70, in the free ends of Which is journaled the shaft of a wringing roller 71. Springs 772 are prov-ided for forcing the roller 71 into contact with the drum, each spring at one end engaging an arm 52 and at the other an arm 70.

The wringer roll 71 should preferably bear against the surface of the drum below or adjacent to a horizontal plane through the axis of the drum and at a point where the surface of the drum is moving away from the floor, as illustrated. If the roll is placed below this horizontal plane, the water expressed by the roll drips from a zone near the line of contact of the drum androll and falls more or less vertically. With the roll and drum in contact in the horizontal plane, the water expressed will also drip vertically from a zone near the line of contact. while if the roll contacts with the drum above the horizontal plane, the water expressed will flow back along the surface of the drum and drip off approximately along the line where the horizontal plane cuts the drum surface. For convenience, the zone where the water expressed by the wringer roll leaves the surface of the drum will be referred to as the drip zone and it will be apparent that the location of this zone will depend on the position of the roll with reference to the drum surface. In order to collect the water picked up by the drum, it is necessary to provide some sort of collecting vessel andto function properly, this vessel must extend beneath and beyond the drip zone line in a direction toward the drum surface.

As the surfaces of the drum and the roll near the place where they contact areboth moving upwardly from the floor surface during normal operation, the tendency of the Water expressed from the drum to flow back along the surfaces of the drum and roll is resisted by the movement of these surfaces and they tend to carry the water back to the place of their contact. The tendency of the water to flow back under the influence of.

gravity and the resistance to flow resulting from the movement of the drum and rollsurfaces eventually balance each other and the water then drips toward the floor. The water line of contact of the roll and the drum and the width of this zone depends on the amount (iif Water on the floor and the speed of the suraces. v Preferably the drum should be so driven that the surface whichis moving upwardly from the floor is at the side of the drumaxis nearer the wet area of the floor, then if any water instead of dripping into the pan'sh-ould run down the drum surface to the floor, as for example, when the drum is revolving slowly when the machine is started this water will be picked up again as the machine is moved along over the floor. The rotation of the drum will, therefore. normally oppose the movement of the machine over the floor, but this resistance is not sufficient ordinarily to interfere with the operation of the machine. If the drum is driven in the opposite direction the water removal is less efficient but the drum assists in propelling the machine so that both arrangements afford advantages.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated. there is provided a collecting pan 73 mounted on the arms 52 beneath the cross rod 53. This pan is of trough form and is placed so that its free edge extends beneath and be yond the zone'of dripping of the water from the line of contact of the roll and drum. The

free edge of the pan thus lies in a position such that the pan collects substant ally all the expressed water.

The pan, as shown in Fig. 4, has an inclined lower surface forming a sump 74 at drips throughout a zone on either side of the mounted on a shaft supported in the ends of extensions 85 from the arms 52, this brush having a pulley 86 at one end of its shaft on which runs a crossed belt 84 which passes over a pulley on the shaft 50. The brush is thus cont nuously driven .so long as the mop drum rotates and this brush engages the absorbent surface on the drum and loosens the fibresso that the compacting action of the wringing roller is overcome and the coating is placed in condition to absorb water readily.

In the operation of the machine, the pres- ..sure of the wringer roll against the mop drum causes water to be squeezed from the drum, and the water drops down into the collecting pan, asillustrated at 86 (Fig. 5). Owing to the position of the collecting pan, it is apparent that any water which might be thrown from the mop roll by its rotation will be collected by the pan and if water squeezed from the drum by the wring'er roll flows down around the surface of the roll instead of dropping down, as illustrated at 86, the water will eventually drip from the surface of the wringer roll into the pan. The arrangement shown insures that the mop drum will be effective to remove dirty water from the floor and the water will be efliciently removed from the absorbent surface of the mop drum and collected. The water is continuously removed from the collecting pan and discharged into the dirty water tank, whence it can be removed from time to time by taking the dirty water pan from the machine and emptying it.

It will be noted that the machine is normally supported on the caster 35 and the Wheels 18, the brush or other tool being forced against the surface of the floor by able to rise and fall and also to tilt from side to side as may be required by'the contour of the floor, thus insuring that the drum will come-into contact with all parts of the floor and remove the dirty fluid therefrom, directly after the cleaning operation has been completed.

While I have illustrated the mopping drum and its associated parts as mounted on a floor scrubbing machine, it is apparent that the mopping apparatus may be used alone, in which case the drum will be provided with an individual motor drive and a suitable operating handle.

I claim:

1. In a machine for cleaning floors, the combination of a rotating member of a normally substantially circular cross-section having a water-absorbent surface adapted tocontact with the floor, a mounting for the said member permitting the member to tilt about axes at an angle to each other, the contacting of said member with the floor determining the manner of its tilting, and means carried by said mounting and-movable with the member as it tilts for expressing water from the surface thereof.

2. In a machine for cleaning floors, the combination of a member mounted to rotate in contact with the floor, a Water-absorbent surface on the member, means bearing against the surface of the member for removing liquid therefrom, and means acting on the member after the latter has been acted on by the said liquid removing means, for loosening said surface to overcome the compacting action of said means.

3. In a machine for cleaning floors, the combination of a frame movable over the floor, a yoke connected to the frame and free to rise and fall relative to the floor and said frame, a member rotatably mounted in the yoke, this member having a liquid-absorbent surface for supporting said member upon the floor, an element mounted in the yoke and bearing against the surface of the drum to remove liquid absorbed thereby, and a pan mounted in the yoke in position to receive water removed from the drum by said element.

4. In a machine for cleaning floors, the combination of a frame movable over the floor, a yoke mounted on the frame to pivot about a horizontal axis and free to tilt about an axis at an angle to the first axis, a drum mounted in the yoke to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis and in contact with the floor, a liquid-absorbent covering on the drum, an element mounted in the yoke and pressed against the drum to remove liquid absorbed by the covering, a pan mounted in the yoke to collect liquid removed from the covering by the element, driving means for the drum, and power-driven means for continuously removing liquid from said pan.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT A. PONSELLE. 

